


How I Live After

by JamietheLion



Category: How I Live Now
Genre: Based on the movie, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Gen, a while later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-17 17:02:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13663404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamietheLion/pseuds/JamietheLion
Summary: Over a month after the main events of the film, the phone lines come back on and Daisy make the dreaded call to Aunt Penn. And maybe they're starting to heal later all.





	How I Live After

It was over a month after we got back to the house that Edmund spoke again.  
We were laying out in the garden after tending to it for the day when he slowly turned to me and whispered my name.  
"Daisy."

  
I nodded to him with tears in my eyes, threatening to spill.  
"I love you Eddy." I stated just as quietly.

  
He reached up and stroked the side of my face, softly pushing my hair back, and staring deeply into my eyes. I knew it was way of saying he loved me too, and I loved him even more for it.

  
And then he gave me a soft smile and I found myself smiling back, then giggling, and then full out laughing as the tears finally fell. Because he had spoken. Said my name and shown me his love, and I couldn't be happier in that moment.  
So I leaned over and gave him a kiss and he returned in full, still holding my face with his hand as we lay there for a few seconds more.

  
"DAISY! EDMUND!-" Pipers yell scared us both, and we were instantly sitting up looking for a threat.

  
"-Look at my new unicorn!!" We both sagged a bit in relief when she came into view with the dog, a paper horn strung to its head. Eddie’s eyes bringing on the grey shadows that over took when his memories or feelings became too much and he stated to curl up in a mental corner where he couldn't be hurt.

  
"Piper!" I said more sharply then I intended. I sighed before continuing "Piper, that's really awesome! Don't yell like that unless something is wrong though ok? It's scary for us when we hear you yell" Taking care of Eddie had made me notice more than ever when I became rough or started to act like my father. And though it had been ok when Isaac was there to counter my attitude or when it was necessary to getting home alive, it wasn't now that he was gone and when she was so fragile.

  
"I'm sorry, I'm just so EXCITED about my unicorn! And the lady on the radio said the phones should come back on tomorrow and they played my favorite song and look at all these flowers and the sky is so pretty today no ash at _all_ and it's just such a great DAY, its just _fantastic_!"

  
At her declaration about the phones I whipped my head around to look at Eddy and even having just been pushed back in his mind he was still sporting a bit of a grin.  
With a great deep laugh and a whoop I jumped up and pulled Eddy to his feet as well, dancing in place in what I have been told is a weird American way, making Piper double over and Eddy give the smallest breath of a laugh.

  
"Today is the greatest of days! Today is marvelous and I love you and I love you and I love you!" I declared, pointing dramatically at Edmund and Piper and then grabbing the dog around the middle in a hug.

  
"Come on!" I said with one last laugh "We need some lunch and it's going to be _fantastic_!"

 

The next day the phones did end up going back on and it was decided that I would be making all of the calls both to their mom and my own dad. I didn't want Piper to make the call and end up being disappointed if she didn't get an answer or to have to hear more bad news this time from a stranger. I also needed to let my Dad know I was still alive and that I would be staying in England, a conversation that I was sure wouldn't go well and that I didn't want Piper to hear.

 

I decided to make the first call early in the morning while Piper was still sleeping. I had taken to sleeping in the same bed as Eddy, as his nightmares seemed to lessen in intensity when I was with him, so I spoke as I dressed. I explained to him what I was doing, wanting to spare Piper the worry of waiting for her mom to pick up, and having the job of telling her about Isaac. He wrote down her number for me and gave me a small tired looking nod, telling me he agreed but that he found the need more than just a little depressing. There wasn't much I could say to that. So with an "I love you" and a peck on the cheek I moved into the next room and found my cell that I had made sure to charge the night before. I had hidden it under a floorboard before we went to the barn, knowing we wouldn't be able to use it until the service came back and not wanting it to be destroyed by the elements in case it rained.

  
"Hello? Eddy?" Came a worried female voice from the other end of the line after just the second ring.

"No it-it's Daisy, Eddy gave me your number, I-I'm glad your alive.”

"I'm glad your alive as well. Where's Eddy? Isaac? Piper? Joe? Is everyone there? What number is this? Where are you?" Her answer was confused, and I couldn't help the quiver to my voice as I replied.

  
“This is my cellphone, you should probably save the number.” I said answering the easy question first trying to stall the inevitable. “It- You should know that its not good. Things aren’t the same, it-it’s not good here- um..” She steeled herself sucking on her teeth and setting her jaw. “But, Eddy is in the other room with Piper right now, they’re both ok. Both healing. We’re at the house right now, we managed to escape the military bases we were sent to before they were taken over and got back home quite a while ago, Im not really sure how long, but it has to have been at least a month. I'm so so sorry though Aunt Penn, Isaac-Isaac and Joe they didn't make it."

I had to swallow at the end to keep myself from sobbing out. This was her moment of grief and she had to hear it outright or I knew she wouldn't be able to believe it.

  
"Oh god." Her sobs went through me like physical pain. I slid down the wall as I listened to her cry over the phone. “Oh god are you sure? Some of the bases, Ive heard some of the bases were still mobile, that they were moved before the take overs happened.”

  
Daisy’s lip was bleeding, her teeth having ripped through the delicate skin while trying to not let her own grief take over.

  
“Yes, I’m sure. I’m so sorry, but yes.. Piper and I were there when Joe.. when Joe died, and I searched the base we passed on our way getting home, and I was the one that found Isaac.”

The line was over taken for several minutes as her breathy and heaving sobs were all she could get out.

  
“I-I don't under stand though why isn't Eddy calling me? Can I-can I talk to him? I need to hear his voice.. And Piper too I need to her their voices. Please.” Aunt Penn’s voice was desperate now verging on steely as she tried to focus her grief on taking care of her remaining children.

  
"Eddy can't really talk right now, he’s.. getting better and has been talking a little more lately but he's been in some pretty bad shock over what he's seen and what's happened and hasn't been able to talk. I can go get Piper though, I just needed her to not be the one to tell you. I can't put any more on her right now. She’s too young to have seen what she has, I couldn't let her have to do this”

"Ok. Ok. Alright, yes- Yes, that makes sense. Thank you, I'm glad she didn't have to do that. Thank you for being with them. Thank you. Can I talk to Piper now, I just... need a moment to compose myself."

"Yes of course and I'll get Eddy after too if you want, so long as you don't expect him to talk much back. It'll take me a bit to get Piper up to talk to you so just let me know when you're ready and I'll hand her the phone."

  
I heard her murmur of consent as I got up and headed to the door.

Pushing the door to Pipers room open as softly as I could I looked down at her resting form with love. She was an amazing girl, happy, resilient and beautiful.  
"Okay." I heard, her voice strong and determined.

  
"Piper." I said softly stroking her hair as I spoke from my new spot, perched on the side of her bed. "Piper sweets, your mom’s on the phone she wants to talk to you." As soon as the words were out of my mouth she was sitting up eyes blinking wide and excited.

  
"Mummy?!" She looked to me but they were being said into the phone already in her hand. "Oh,  _Mum_."

At that point I moved back wanting her to have a moment with her mom, but needing to be there incase she needed to know anything.

  
I jumped as I felt the hand on my back, but calmed knowing it was Edmund. I turned as he folded his arms around me and whispered "She's safe, I haven't been able to ask her when she can get back but I'll find out. I told her, and she reacted as well as can be expected. She wanted to talk to you and Piper, so I told her about you not talking, but I also said you had started to talk a little so she might want to say some things to you anyways." I was rambling a bit now but it was all things he needed to know so I let myself.

He leaned down and quieted me with a long kiss. We are standing with our foreheads together when Piper hopped up from the bed.

  
"I love you too Mummy, come home soon, please. She wants to talk to you now Edmund."

  
Edmund hesitantly took the phone from his little sister and pulled it to his ear glancing at me as he did so. He swallowed thickly and at my nod asked "Mum?" with a voice like gravel.

I smiled widely at him hearing him speak yet again, though from then on the conversation was mostly soft noises of ascent or disproval. I had missed his voice so much. I turned to Piper and told her to get dressed and clean up a bit before breakfast, her excitement and happiness at having spoken to her mother coming off of her in waves.

  
She was in the bathroom changing, and I was just finishing making her bed when Eddy came up to my side and silently handed the phone back.  
"Hey it's Daisy again."

  
"Hi Daisy, thank you for helping so much. Piper said you've been taking care of her and Eddy, that you got her home. I can't thank you enough for that. The airports aren't opening for the public yet, and even then I'm not sure when I'll be able to get a flight into the country. I'm doing my best though, will I be able to reach you here next time I call? Have you spoken to your father yet, he's been calling me every day since the bomb went off."

  
I couldn't believe it my Dad was worried about me? Whatever happened to needing time making his new family, without me there to fuck things up? I had thought he was happy to be rid of me, the amount of concern he seemed to be showing for me was surprising to say the least.

  
"No not yet he's the next on the list. Your call was much more important."

"Yeah. Yeah." She agreed in a whisper.

  
"Well" She continued, with forced strength in her voice. “You should call him as soon as you can, he's worried and he'll want to talk to you."

  
"Yes definitely."

"Alright Daisy, I love you"

  
And wasn't that a surprise as well. Very few people had said that to me in my life and I wasn't expecting it from her. But as I looked down at her little girl and over at the man I loved, both broken and bleeding on the inside, I couldn't help but believe it when I said it back.

  
“I love you too”

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! I might add onto this more later on, depending on inspiration, and let me know if you see any spelling or grammar mistakes, I didn't have a beta and I almost never notice my own mistakes, but I would love to fix them. Thanks for reading!!!


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